By supporting this bill, we can make significant strides in ensuring a fair and transparent gaming environment for everyone. It is time to put a stop to the exploitative practices that have plagued the gaming industry for too long. Your support can help make this bill a reality and bring about much-needed change.

Sign this petition to urge the United States Congress to prioritize the protection of gamers and consumers in the digital age. Your voice is crucial in making this change happen!

1  117th CONGRESS  
2  2nd Session  
3  
4  H. R. ___  
5  
6  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES  
7  
8  [Date]  
9  
10  Mr./Ms. [Sponsor] introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on [Committee Name]  
11  
12  A BILL  
13  
14  To protect gamer rights, ensure consumer protections, and establish content standards for interactive and audiovisual entertainment.  
15  
16  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,  
17  
18  SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.  
19  This Act may be cited as the “Gamer Rights Act.”  
20  
21  SECTION 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.  
22  (a) Findings.—Congress finds that:  
23      (1) Video games and audiovisual entertainment are protected forms of expression.  
24      (2) Rating systems are intended to inform consumers and parents, not justify censorship.  
25      (3) Adult consumers are entitled to unrestricted expression in mature-rated media.  
26      (4) Children require strict and enforceable protections in child-rated media.  
27      (5) Consumers who purchase gaming hardware are unfairly subjected to additional fees to access basic online functionality.  
28      (6) Games that are no longer supported commonly suffer from cheating, exploits, and degraded online experiences that unfairly harm new players.  
29  (b) Purpose.—The purpose of this Act is to:  
30      (1) Protect First Amendment expression in mature-rated media.  
31      (2) Establish enforceable content standards for child-rated media.  
32      (3) Apply uniform rules to video games, movies, and series.  
33      (4) Protect consumer hardware and online access rights.  
34      (5) Prevent deceptive pricing of unsupported video games.  
35  
36  SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS.  
37  For purposes of this Act:  
38      (1) “Rated R” means content intended exclusively for mature audiences.  
39      (2) “Rated M” means content intended for mature audiences, substantially similar in content and access to Rated R.  
40      (3) “Rated G” means content intended exclusively for children.  
41      (4) “Rated E” means content intended for general audiences of all ages.  
42      (5) “Censorship” means the restriction, filtering, moderation, alteration, or suppression of expressive content.  
43      (6) “Gaming hardware” means any console, handheld system, or gaming-capable device.  
44      (7) “Online functionality” means online multiplayer, networking, or communication features required to play a game as intended.  
45      (8) “Active support” means updates, patches, maintenance, or anti-cheat protections provided by a publisher or developer.  
46  
47  SECTION 4. PROTECTION OF FREE EXPRESSION IN MATURE-RATED INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION.  
48  (a) Scope of Protected Expression.—For Rated R and Rated M video games, protected expression includes:  
49      (1) In-game text chat.  
50      (2) Voice chat.  
51      (3) Proximity-based voice communication.  
52      (4) Player-to-player expressive conduct during gameplay.  
53  (b) Prohibition on Restrictions.—No publisher, platform, distributor, or service provider may:  
54      (1) Mute, block, filter, censor, suppress, or modify player communications.  
55      (2) Apply automated or manual moderation of language.  
56      (3) Restrict speech based on profanity, offensive language, political views, or expressive content.  
57      (4) Suspend, ban, or penalize a player for speech occurring within Rated R or Rated M game communication systems.  
58  (c) No Moderation Requirements.—Rated R and Rated M video games may not implement, require, or enforce any form of communication restriction, including but not limited to:  
59      (1) Chat filters or automated language filtering systems.  
60      (2) Community language standards or speech-based codes of conduct.  
61      (3) Opt-in or opt-out speech restrictions of any kind.  
62      (4) Limitations, reductions, or disabling of voice chat or proximity-based communication features.  
63  (d) Penalties.—  
64      (1) Any violation of this section shall result in a civil fine of $1,000 per affected player per incident.  
65      (2) For each subsequent violation by the same publisher, platform, distributor, or service provider, the civil fine shall double from the previous amount per affected player per incident.  
66      (3) The doubling continues for each new violation without limit until compliance is achieved.  
67  (e) Disclosure.—Publishers must clearly disclose that Rated R and Rated M games contain unrestricted player communication intended solely for mature audiences.  
68  
69  SECTION 5. CHILD CONTENT PROTECTIONS (G AND E RATINGS).  
70  (a) Rated G Content.—  
71      (1) Rated G games and movies/series shall contain no profanity or curse words of any kind.  
72      (2) All content must be demonstrably safe and appropriate for children.  
73  (b) Rated E Content.—  
74      (1) Rated E games and movies/series shall include safety features preventing exposure of inappropriate content to minors.  
75      (2) Such features shall include parental controls, content filtering, and age-appropriate default settings.  
76  
77  SECTION 6. APPLICATION TO MOTION PICTURES AND AUDIOVISUAL ENTERTAINMENT.  
78  All provisions of this Act shall apply equally to:  
79      (1) Video games.  
80      (2) Motion pictures, films, series, and other audiovisual entertainment, whether distributed physically or digitally.  
81  
82  SECTION 7. GAMING HARDWARE AND ONLINE ACCESS RIGHTS.  
83  (a) Any consumer who purchases gaming hardware at a retail price exceeding $100 shall not be required to pay additional fees to access online functionality.  
84  (b) Online multiplayer and networking access shall be included as a consumer right with such hardware purchases.  
85  (c) Charging for online access in violation of this section is prohibited.  
86  
87  SECTION 8. ENFORCEMENT.  
88  (a) The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shall enforce this Act.  
89  (b) State attorneys general may bring civil actions on behalf of residents.  
90  (c) Remedies may include civil penalties, restitution, and injunctive relief.  
91  
92  SECTION 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.  
93  This Act shall take effect one month after the date of enactment.  
94  
95  SECTION 10. CONSUMER PROTECTION FOR UNSUPPORTED GAMES.  
96  (a) Congressional Findings.—Congress finds that unsupported games are widely known to:  
97      (1) Experience increased cheating and exploitation.  
98      (2) Provide an unfair and unpleasant experience for new or returning players.  
99      (3) Deny players a fair chance to compete or participate.  
100     (4) Mislead consumers when sold as fully functional products.  
101 (b) Definition of Unsupported Game.—A game shall be considered unsupported if it has not received any active support for a continuous period of six (6) months, including:  
102     (1) Anti-cheat updates (required for online games).  
103     (2) Security patches.  
104     (3) Bug fixes.  
105     (4) Server maintenance.  
106     (5) Meaningful gameplay or stability updates.  
107 (c) Presumption of Consumer Harm.—Unsupported games are presumed to deliver a degraded and unfair experience, particularly for new players attempting to play with others.  
108 (d) Mandatory Price Limitation.—  
109     (1) Unsupported games must not be sold for more than twenty-five percent (25%) of their original full retail price.  
110     (2) The original full retail price shall be the highest price charged while the game was actively supported.  
111     (3) Selling an unsupported game above this threshold is unlawful and deceptive.  
112 (e) Disclosure Requirements.—Sellers must clearly disclose:  
113     (1) That the game is unsupported.  
114     (2) The date of the last update.  
115     (3) That online play may be compromised due to lack of anti-cheat or maintenance.  
116 (f) Enforcement and Penalties.—Violations of this section shall be treated as illegal commercial practices and enforced by the FTC and state attorneys general, including fines, restitution, and injunctive relief.